When all others fail
by The Lord of All Chaos
Summary: An alternative ending to the Death Note series.  Misa comes back for LIght and kills Near. Thinking he has won, Light fails to overlook the fact that someone has been tailing the case since the beginning. Someone, who never fails.
1. The end of Nate Rivers

**Death Note****: W h e n a l l o t h e r s f a i l . . .**

_The end of Nate Rivers._

"No!" Near snapped. "You're just a murderer Light Yagami. And this notebook is the deadliest weapon of mass-murder in the history of mankind. You yielded to the power of the Shinigami in the notebook, and you confused yourself with a god. In the end, you're just a crazy serial-killer. That's all you are. Nothing more. Nothing less."

Light scowled and turned away from Near.

"We're going to put you away for a long… long time Light," Near continued. "I don't expect you to come quietly, and I wouldn't be surprised if you hid a piece of the notebook somewhere on your person. But in the end, we're all armed aside from myself, and we can easily shoot you if you try any-"

Near choked. He gulped and pressed a hand to his chest, eyes bulging. Light looked across at Near, surprised as the rest of them.

"Near!" Matsuda cried. He rushed to the side of the other detective. Even as he did so, Light's face split into a grin. It was already too late for Near.

"How?" Near whispered. "How… did he…?"

And then he was gone. He fell limp in Matsuda's arms.

"Near!" Matsuda cried. "Near, come on Near wake up!"

Anthony looked sharply at Light, pointing a quivering index finger at him.

"What did you do Light!" he bellowed. "What did you do to Near!"

"I didn't do anything," Light said smugly, holding his hands up in a gesture of smug unknowing. "But I'd say its obvious Nate Rivers has died of a heart attack."

"Don't lie to me Kira!" bellowed Anthony, "I know that it was-!"

H stopped, gasped, and put a hand on his chest. His eyes bulged and he fell forward onto the cold ground. Dead.

"Light," Matsuda said quietly. "What are you doing?"

"I told you," Light said again. "I'm not doing anything. But my fried over there sure is."

Matsuda looked over, just as he felt a spasm in his chest. He gasped, clutched at his heart and fell over Near.

Misa Amane stepped from the shadows, her face split into a wide grin. Light's Death Note was held in her hands, a ball point pen in he fingers.

"She's got the notebook!" cried Izawa. He reached for the gun in his hip holster, but before his hand had covered half the distance, he gulped, and fell to his knees, clutching his heart.

Everyone looked between Light and Misa.

"I think that it's fair to say we are in control of this situation now, isn't that right Misa?" Light said his face split into a grin of victory.

"I guess that would be the scenario," Misa said, smiling serenely at Light.

"Now, Misa be a darling and kill them all," Light said, walking over to Near's body. He bent down and picked up the real Death Note and held it under his arm. "I need to inform the media that the last person who could stop me is now dead."

"Of course Light darling," Misa smiled, and began to write feverishly. As Light left, he suddenly realized that he was now no longer the simple, teenage Light Yagami who he had been six years previously. Nor was he L, the detective leading an investigation to find and capture Kira. No, now he truly was Kira.

London, England

A small alarm began to beep in a constant rhythm. A tall, black haired teenage boy spun on a swivel chair, whilst in his peculiar position to look at the dashboard of controls and screens. He tapped the small area of metal around the red L.E.D. just to check if it was a technical fault.

He leaned back, satisfied that it was not. He put his hand to the bridge of his nose and pinched it, eyes closed. He opened them again a few minutes afterwards, revealing his mismatched irises. One light blue, the other soulless grey.

"Roderick," he said at last.

A tall, bald man dressed in a sleek grey Italian suit stepped from the shadows behind him. He was broad shouldered and his skin was slightly tanned. He wore a pair of circular black, metal rimmed sunglasses.

"Yes sir," he said, addressing the boy.

The boy took a deep breath, and ran his right hand through his spiky, ink black hair. "The heart monitor Near agreed to wear."

"Yes?"

"It no longer detects a heartbeat."

Roderick remained as still as a statue as he said, "Dead?"

"Most probably. I find it highly unlikely that Near would have removed it. We can only assume it is the work of Light Yagami, a.k.a. Kira."

"Of course sir. Do we mobilize?"

"No, we require permission from the ICPO before we mobilize against Kira. That is how it always works. The E.C.A.U. can only mobilize once we have been officially called in to complete the case."

"Of course sir."

"For now we move to the ICPO. Once they learn of Near's death they'll all arrive there in panic, wondering what to do against Kira."

"And then we shall mobilize?"

"Precisely. They'll let anyone who thinks they might have a shot at taking out Kira try, just to look good. Even me. A sixteen year old boy. And the rest of the Evasive Criminals Action Unit."

**To be continued…**


	2. Last Hope for a Free World

**Death Note: W h e n a l l o t h e r s f a i l . . .**

_A last hope for a free world…_

"There's no one else!"

"First L! Then Mellow, everyone who goes after Kira ends up a stiff!"

"What are we supposed to do? Let him win? He's a murdering psychopath! We cannot let him live any longer!"

"How? When the entire world's most brilliant minds couldn't stop him, what are we supposed to do?"

ICPO was a seething mass of despairing cries, and loud, terrified voices. Nobody seemed to have an idea to take out Kira. There were no more trump cards. There were no more chances. Kira seemingly had them beat.

"QUIET!" roared Watari (2).

Silence fell.

"Thank you," he said. "Now, does anyone have an idea how to stop Kira? I think we could do with anything at this moment. This is our last chance to find an idea to preserve our free world."

The silence was all that Watari needed. Then the footsteps sounded. Watari turned around, surprised. The lights winked on, off, then off again. The whole room was then bathed in a cool blue light.

"This case has gone on long enough!" called an amplified, young, strong voice. Watari stepped down from the stage as three people appeared behind him. Two of them, clearly bodyguards, flanked the third. One was a tall, bald, tanned brute of a man. The second was a slight, dark hair man dressed in a buttoned up trench coat. In his right hand he held an armed pistol.

The third figure was the one that held all eyes however. A tall, black haired, teenage boy of around sixteen years old. His hair stuck up in random spikes and his skin was a pale grey. Around his eyes were the oncoming's of dark circles. His irises were mismatched however, one blue, the other grey. He wore all black, black, baggy jeans, black long sleeved shirt and blazer and black socks, but no shoes.

"Who are you?" Watari asked.

"We are the experts you should have called in after L died," the boy replied. "We are the three elite members of the E.C.A.U. 'Evasive Criminals Action Unit'. We find the criminals that evade the law for far too long. We take the cases that not even L could crack, and I am at its heart! We have been following the case since the beginning however we have been unable to act. The E.C.A.U. can only be mobilized when the ICPO calls us in. You appear to have forgotten about our presence, so we are hear to remind you. If we had been called in, in the first place, Kira would have been captured four years ago!"

The members of the ICPO started to mutter amongst one another.

"We are prepared to move straight to Japan and take Kira down," said the bald man. "All we need is a majority decision from the ICPO and Kira can be taken care of, along with his second, copycat accomplice."

"We cannot divulge any information about the case we have. We cannot even give you our names," said the other man. "Not until we have been officially called in to take the case."

Whispers flew around the room. Watari cleared his throat.

"All in favor of calling in these esteemed and brave individuals say 'aye'," he said. After a few moments whispers, every member of the ICPO rose to their feet, and their voices rose as one.

"Aye!"

The boy's lips curled into a smile as Watari turned back to face him.

"Well, the decision is unanimous. We gladly and respectfully hand the case over to you."

The boy smiled openly.

"Well then. First things first. My name cannot truly be divulged but I lead the E.C.A.U. under the title, of X. Beside me are my right hand men. Roderick Ives, head of tactical movement."

The bald man inclined his head.

"And Ian Thornton, head of weaponry."

The other man gave an evil smile.

"And I might want to say something else. Kira may be returning back with us, in a body bag."

**To be continued…**


	3. Mobilized X

**Death Note: W h e n a l l o t h e r s f a i l . . .**

_Mobilized X…_

"Roderick."

"Sir?"

"Inform the media. Kira will be taken into custody within the next twenty-four hours understood?" X said, looking at Roderick out of the corner of his eye.

"Yes sir."

"Ian."

"Sir?"

"You and Roderick head after Misa Amane. I'll concentrate on Light Yagami."

"Any particular orders sir?" Roderick asked.

"Yes, keep your side arms in hand at all times. Only shoot to kill if she has the Death Note in her hands and attempts to right down your name. She has the Shinigami eyes don't forget. If is not holding the Death Note, but it is near her side, keep your guns by your side but don't aim. If she makes a move for it shoot the surface on which the Death Note lies.

"If the Death Note is not close to her side, one of you keep your gun trained at her, the other goes to take the Death Note. If you cannot see the Death Note, handcuff Misa and escort her to the car. One of you then checks the apartment and the other stays with Misa."

"Yes sir," Roderick and Ian said in unison.

"Oh and one last thing, Ian?"

"Sir?"

"My side arm."

Ian reached into his coat and pulled out a sleek, silver metal revolver.

"Are you expecting a fire fight sir?"

"No, I just want a little insurance. I am going up against a crazed murderer after all. I don't want to be his next victim."

"Of course not sir," Roderick said calmly as the trio reached a pair of sleek black Audi's.

"I'll be going solo to Japan," X said, sliding into the drivers seat of the nearest Audi. "See you after Kira is beaten."

"Yes sir."

X closed the door and turned the key in the ignition. There was no thundering roar, just a calm, gentle purr. X easily maneuvered the car from its parked position and that's when the roar started, as X hammered down on the accelerator. The car bolted away from the ICPO and roared down the road, straight to the nearest airport. He reached up and placed a small headset on.

"This is X," he said. "I want ECAU Japanese Instant Response on high alert and armed should anything go wrong. I'm sure it won't but it's nice to have some back up."

"Yes sir," came the slightly electronic voice in his ear. X removed the headset and concentrated on driving.

He yanked down hard on the steering wheel, causing the car to fishtail harshly into the curve. Car horns blared behind him, but he didn't give a damn. The Car pulled fast from the ICPO and soon he saw road signs marking an exit for the airport.

Kanto Region, Japan, Eight hours later

Kira was sitting opposite Misa at her glamorous apartment. He was looking out of the window at the burning sunset. After five days he was sill reveling in his victories over L, Mellow and Near. The three most brilliant minds had fallen before his own might and the powers of the Death Note.

"This is perhaps the most perfect of settings," muttered Kira. Misa smiled in agreement. "Tonight, the ICPO will give their response to Near's death. And they will give up. They will surrender at last, to both Kiras."

"Yes," breathed Misa, raising a wine glass filled with a soft amber liquid. "We've won now haven't we Light?"

"Who else can the ICPO send?" chuckled Kira, as he picked up the TV remote and switched it on. "Might as well check to see what they've said, if anything at all."

As the TV came into focus, static hissed over the program to be replaced with a news station. A harassed looked newsreader was sat at his desk.

"We interrupt this program to broadcast to bring you an important announcement."

"Hear it is," muttered Kira.

"The following message was sent to very news station across the world less than eight hours ago," the newsreader said. "I must assure everyone that this is not a hoax."

The news station disappeared to be replaced with a black screen, and a white, old English text 'X' on the screen. Kira's eyes widened. This was not what he had been expecting. There _was_ someone else that the ICPO was willing to send after him.

"To the people of the world," said a transmodified voice. "I am X. I lead an organization named the E.C.A.U. 'Evasive Criminals Action Unit.' I have been called in by the ICPO to end the Kira case, once and for all."

Kira stood sharply to his feet. His fists shook. The confidence in that voice was all too real. And it unnerved him.

"I guarantee that within twenty four hours of this initial posting to every country across the globe, Kira will be found, cornered, caught or killed. Depending if he's willing to cooperate with my men of course."

A calm chuckle echoed through the TV's speaker's.

"Oh, and Kira? I know that you're watching in one language or another. I assure you that this is not a bluff. I'm coming for you, L. Yagami."

Kira took a horrified step backwards. This was impossible. This 'X' whoever he was knew his name. He turned quickly to Misa. She looked just as shocked as he felt.

"Pack everything!" he insisted. "We need to get out of Japan!"

She nodded quickly and got to her feet, quickly rushing to her bedroom. Kira flew to the door and pulled open. Ryuk gave a few throaty laughs before following Kira downstairs and into the parking lot.

"He knows your name Light," Ryuk grinned. "That must have rattled you pretty good."

"Silence!" Kira screamed as he got into his car. 'I have to get home!' Kira thought, 'I have to get the Death Note, and get out of Japan.'

Ten Minutes Later

Kira practically knocked down the door as he ran into his home. He bolted to his room and began searching frantically through his drawers to find the Death Note. That's when he heard the soft sound, of someone's breath.

"Looking for something?" asked a voice from behind him.

Kira spun around. His eyes widened in shock, horror and disbelief.

"L?"

**To be continued…**


	4. L was the master Now I take his place

**Death Note: W h e n a l l o t h e r s f a i l . . .**

_L was the master. Now I take his place._

Kira leaned against his desk in horror. What appeared to be the ghost of L stood before him. And what was worse, he held the Death Note. The phantom before him chuckled.

"I feel slightly flattered to be mistaken for the world's greatest detective," he sniggered. "Or should that be greatest _known_ detective."

Kira scowled, as he realized that the figure before him was no more than sixteen years old. Furthermore, unlike L, this boy wore all-black. And, when looking hard enough, he saw that the boy's left eye was a light blue.

"So," Kira said at last. "You're X."

"And you, Light Yagami are Kira No. 1," X replied. "I believe I did say that I would corner you within twenty four hours. And I've done just that."

"Well," Kira said. "If I go down, Kira 2 will kill you."

"I highly doubt that Misa Amane is in a position to kill me Light," X smiled. Light took a shocked step back.

"How…?"

"Let's just say I'm a very clever boy," X smiled. He pulled up a chair and looked at Kira with those mismatched irises.

"Well," Kira said. "How did you do it? How did you track me down in one afternoon?"

X snorted.

"I doubt even I could do it that fast," X said moderately. "I've been following this case since the beginning. And since the beginning, I knew how your mind worked and how old you were. I also knew that you were in Japan, but it took L's excellent stunt to prove that you were in the Kanto region."

"How did you work out how old I was?" Kira snapped.

"Simple. People of our age range get bored easily. We read a book once we're done with it for life. We watch a movie once we've seen them all. You get the idea. I also knew that you had a supernatural ability to kill. From this I learnt of your second victim's identity. Takuo Shibuimaru."

Kira's eyes widened even more in utter shock.

"Surprised? Let me talk you how I figured out your second victim. I already knew that you're first victim was Kudrou Otoharada. You must have been using the Death Note to test its power. The same for Takuo, except that this time you actually specified a cause of death.

"So by using my belief that you were experimenting the flexibility of your powers, I thought that if you could kill hundreds using heart attacks, maybe you could kill people with other methods. I looked for unfortunate accidents that occurred on the same day but after Kudrou had died and I came across Takuo Shibuimaru.

"To anyone else it would have been an unfortunate accident but I knew that you were merely testing your powers and so I decided to watch in detail every murder you made after that. I eventually found that you could manipulate the time of death to your will, and that you could also manipulate to some extent the actions before death."

Kira scowled.

"How? That information was never revealed to the public."

"Matsuda was an undercover agent for the ECAU," X replied coldly. "We decided it best to have an undercover agent in most of the world's police forces. It seemed we were right. Matsuda kept us up to date with the Kira investigation without L or anyone else finding out. It seems even you didn't know this information. Any details that we wouldn't be able to find out via the media and couldn't find out due to the fact we were unable to approach the case, Matsuda informed us. We even had a member in the S.P.K, although, he's still alive so I won't give you his or her name."

Kira scowled. Matsuda had been a double agent since the beginning? Everything X had needed to know about the case. Any information he couldn't get, Matsuda informed him of. X's detective skills rested with his resources as much as with his own intellect.

"Now as to the matter of how I managed to discover the true nature of your killing skills. This was something Matsuda informed me of."

X narrowed his eyes. Kira moved his hand slightly, so that it rested on the handle of a drawer.

"To quote directly 'I know you don't have the eyes'. Sound familiar?"

Kira looked horrified. That had been one of the lines used in Misa's second tape used as a response to the 'fake' Kira. But how had that single, useless line been used to divulge the nature of his killing power. He gulped and pulled the drawer out slightly.

"It took a few hours of agonizing research but I discovered a deal between Shinigami, and the human that they are partnered with. A deal in which the Shinigami, for exchange of half of the human's remaining lifespan, will give the human his or her Shinigami eyes, granting the human the ability to see the lifespan and name of any human they look upon.

"After some more research, I learned that Shinigami killed by way of using a notebook. And if a Shinigami drops his notebook, and if said notebook is dropped into the human world, the said notebook will belong to the first human to pick it up."

X smiled at Kira's shock. Then he frowned as Kira dipped his hand into a slightly open drawer.

"Of course it took another year to discover that you were Kira, and a month after that to discover enough evidence to charge you. But that's a long and tedious story."

Kira snarled and withdrew his hand. X's hand flew to a shoulder holster hidden beneath his blazer. Both X and Kira pointed identical barrels at each other.

X smiled.

"Stalemate."

Kira chuckled as he replied, "You wish."

X sighed.

"Is it really that obvious?"

X's gun was empty of bullets.

"Why bring an empty gun to the house of a serial killer?" Kira asked.

"I don't want to commit murder Light," X said quietly. "I'm not like you. It's only used for intimidation. I didn't expect to be held directly at gunpoint. I mean, I guess I could right your name in this." He tapped the Death Note. "But then your instant response would be to shoot me."

"Exactly," Kira said, a slightly crazed look in his eyes. "You shouldn't have underestimated me X. That's exactly what L did. And he ended up pretty bad too didn't he?"

X's eyes flashed darkly.

"Don't you dare," X growled. "Insult my _father_ in my presence."

This took Kira back.

"Your, your father?"

X scowled.

"Yes. L was my father, and although I know he loved my mother, he left before I was born. It has been a dream of mine to meet my father, and to earn his respect! And now, because of YOU!... I'll never have that chance."

Kira lowered the gun slightly. He began to understand why people hunted him now. He had murdered innocent people just to survive. He had had L, Near and Mellow killed. He hadn't even considered that L had a son, or even a lover. He had just acted on the instinct to survive.

"But…" X sighed, after his outburst. "I'm not going to kill you Light. Like I said I'm not like you. I was never going to kill you. That's why my gun was empty. I'm no killer, and even though I know you deserve to die. I won't honor my father's sacrifice by simply descending to your level."

Kira smiled again.

"And how are you going to bring me in?"

X smiled as well.

"Guess."

And that was when the window was smashed in and all hell broke loose. X dived as Kira looked at the window in surprise. The teenage boy dived at Kira, left hand reaching for the gun, right hand for Kira's throat. Kira, only too late realizing his mistake looked back at X, only to have him slammed into the wall, the desk cracking slightly.

X grabbed Kira's gun and attempted to wrench it out of his hand. Kira snarled and attempted to pull it back, as glass rained down upon them. X growled, as Kira raised his knee into his chest and kicked. Still holding the gun.

X staggered back across the room, clutching his stomach. Kira stood upright, raised the gun and pulled the trigger…

**To.**

**Be.**

**Continued…**


	5. Close but no cigar

**Death Note: W h e n a l l o t h e r s f a i l . . .**

_Close but no cigar…_

When nothing happened, Kira cocked the gun slightly. Then he heard X chuckling. The boy straightened up and unclasped his arms from his stomach and revealed a small, shinning silver, rectangular object. It was the clip from Kira's gun.

Kira's eyes widened as he realized that, in the scuffle, X had taken the clip from the gun and caught it without his realization. X sighed and lifted the clip, inserting it into his own gun.

"You know it's actually pure luck we have the same guns," X said smiling slightly. "Go figure?"

The harsh, 'click' of the clip slipping into the gun told Kira everything he needed to know. He had lost. Pure and simple. As he realized this, two men came up the stairs, dragging an unconscious Misa between them.

"We've got her sir," Roderick said to X.

"I kind of guessed Roderick," X said. "As you can clearly see I have apprehended Kira."

"And made quiet a mess as you did so," Ian muttered. "Instant Response went a bit overboard again."

"Nah I asked them to do that," X said.

"How…"

X realized that Kira had asked this last remark. He smiled as he realized Light Yagami, L No.2, Kira, was going into shock.

"I called in a special unit of the ECAU," X explained. "Instant Response. They've had a perimeter around your house for about ten minutes. I called them in while I was at gun point with a two word command. Their namesake."

Kira's eyes widened as he remembered X's words.

'_I didn't expect to be held directly at gunpoint. I mean, I guess I could right your name in this. But then your _instant response_ would be to shoot me.'_

The way he had slipped it in to the conversation. So casual. So calm. And in the end it had been the instrument of Kira's downfall. Kira's left eyes twitched. He glanced at the hole in the wall that had been blown open by the Instant Response unit. It was large enough for a man to jump through. X had said that he wouldn't kill him.

Kira ran for the hole.

X raised the gun and fired three times in rapid succession. The first missed, the second hit Kira in the leg as he jumped out of the window and the third thudded into his shoulder as he fell.

X heard Kira cry out in pain as he landed on the gound.

"Roderick watch Misa and take both Death Notes!" X snapped, slipping off his blazer. "I'm not about to let Kira go now that he's so close!"

And without waiting for response X ran out of the window after Kira. He landed in a crouch. He looked up, hoping to spot Kira somewhere but cursed as he couldn't see the murderer anywhere.

He ran forwards and vaulted the wall of Kira's home. He looked right and left and saw Kira limping quickly away. Damn he was fast even when in pain. Perhaps if he had been in perfect health he might have been faster than X, but with two bullets in him that had to slow him down.

X ran full tilt towards the receding back of Kira. He knew he was gaining, but not fast enough. He sighed, realizing he had no other choice. He raised the gun and fired two more shots. Both flew true to their mark, landing themselves in Kira's injured leg and the small of his back.

Kira jerked as the bullets struck and landed heavily on the ground. X sighed but still ran fast to the fallen villain. As he came up to him, he noticed that he was far too motionless.

He crouched down beside him, and pressed a finger to his neck. He then trailed his hand down to Kira's chest, just over the heart. He sighed and pulled out a Dictaphone.

"Case report number seventy two. Case file Kira. Report as follows. Kira, a.k.a. Light Yagami, deceased on February second two-thousand and ten at thirteen minutes and twenty two seconds past seven in the evening. Cause of death, a combined total of four bullets to various areas of the body and… cardiac arrest. Misa Amane is in custody and the murder weapons, the Death Notes are within our hands. This is X saying at last, case closed."

**End.**

**But expect to see X in other fanfics.**


End file.
